[Playlist] Mïus (Musical) History Of Hungary

Mïus is a solo music project by Budapest based artist Gergely Álmos, defined as a multi-art project wherein the different fields of self-expression meet each other.

An architect in civil life and film set designer, Mïus now presents his latest absorbing LP, Twentytwo 22. The ten-track affair shows off his unique knack for mixing live playing skills with electronic production. Here, anticipating the LP’s 6 April release, Mïus gives us a walk through Hungary’s electronic music history. On the playlist he states:

It was really hard to pick one track from each decade or genre, so this is kind of a partial snapshot of Hungarian musical history. In the first half I focused on milestones in the past for the electronic music culture of Hungary, the second half is taken from a wide selection of modern artists.

1. György Ligeti – Artikulation (1958)

– Classical, Experimental, Electronica

György Ligeti was a Hungarian composer of contemporary classical music, but he was also one of the pioneers of electronic music. He recorded one of his famous pieces in the electronic studio of West German Radio in 1958 Cologne.

Ligeti explains “The piece is called ‘Artikulation’ because in this sense an artificial language is articulated: question and answer, high and low voices, polyglot speaking and interruptions, impulsive outbreaks and humor, charming and whispering.”

Rainer Wehinger created a visual listening score to the track, which is described as one of the most important roots for VJ culture.

2. Panta Rhei – Mandarin (1979)

– Funk, Electronic, Disco

In the 70’s it was really hard to buy or even get an instrument on this side of the iron curtain. In Hungary everybody was building home-made guitars and amplifiers. These guys once listened to Walter Carlos playing a Moog in “Switched-On Bach”, and decided to build their own synthesizers. It was possible as they were physicians in civil life, and got help from electrical engineers where they lived, in the houses of a nuclear research centre. András Szalay later moved to the USA, and developed lots of electronic devices, synthesizers for big companies like Akai or Fishman.

3. Dän von Schultz – Ozone (1994)

– House

After learning and experiencing via DMC world, a new djing culture started to grow up riding the boom of house music in 90’s Hungary.

4. Anima Sound System – ’68 (1997)

– Dub

There are tunes that will never fade away, ’68 is one of these pieces made by the electronic band led by Zsolt Prieger. They usually mixed modern electronic sounds with east-european folk.

5. Neo – Ranbo 13 (1999)

– Big Beat

During the first five years of Neo, Márk Moldvai and Mátyás Milkovics as a duo created lots of nice big beat tracks together. Like many big beat music videos, theirs also have a funny concept behind.

6. Yonderboi – Follow me home (2005)

– Electronica

Yonderboi’s music is difficult to pigeonhole because it is quite conceptual and combines a wide range of sources and plays around with various musical styles. Despite this a certain intense atmosphere and the distinctive melodies remain recognizable in all of his works

7. Route 8 – Floating Dub (2015)

– House

The grand master of hazy house music and head coach of the famous don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously method, Route 8 played on the first Boiler Room Budapest, he’s on Lobster Theremin’s roster and plays abroad more than at home.

8. Mark Fell & Gabor Lazar – Untitled 4 (2015)

– Abstract, Experimental

Gábor Lázár collaborated with Russell Haswelland, Mark Fell, released records on Lorenzo Senni’s Presto!? label as well as Boomkat’s The Death Of Rave and Shelter Press. He often uses a single note of a pure synth sound to create abstract and comprehensive studies of dance music tropes and rhythmic perception. Their album with Fell made it into the top 20 avant albums by Rolling Stone Magazine.

9. Yinna – E-270 (2016)

– Techno

Member of Budapest’s lo-fi house Farbwechsel. She established Budapest’s feminist DJ crew A C I D W I T C H with Alexandr, the project also entails regular club nights called SEANCE. Her show on the local online broadcaster Tilos Radio, Outline, traces developments in so-called “outsider house”.

10. PALMFooD – Monkey Island (2018)

– Deep House, Africa

PALMFooD is the main man behind Stamusic Studios and takes part in Gorongosa Music. Feri Stámusz is not only at home behind the studio mixer, but also plays the drums. His new track was released on MoBlack Records.

+ Bonus

11. surfalone – SOUL MACHINE (2017)

– Electronica

Surfalone belongs to Laszlo Papp, a mainstay of the Budapest techno scene who has been DJing for over a decade as Subotage. He’s also played an instrumental role in organizing grandiose events and small club gigs with his crew, NVC.